Greetings readers new and old! Today, I thought it would be fun to highlight some of the my favorite blog posts from the the previous year. For those of you that have been up-to-date with my postings in the past, consider this one a review. And for those of you that are new to my posts, this is a great opportunity to get caught up!

College of Biological Sciences Admissions Blog: Best of 2010

1. Adventure awaits at the Center of Outdoor Adventure - This post highlights the University of Minnesota's Center for Outdoor Adventure (COA). Learn about great opportunites and resources COA offers for students interested in outdoor recreation. As a student, I was avid participant in COA activities. I really enjoyed writing this post, since outdoor adventure is my favorite hobby and I able to include a picture of me in Colorado.

2. From the classroom to the exam room - Written in September, this post detailed an amazing volunteer experience I was able to participate in the summer before my senior year in CBS. After our experience, the College of Biological Sciences put together a short video about the trip. Check out the video and learn about the amazing opportunities that await you at the College of Biological Sciences!

3. Study biology in the Galapagos...and beyond - Students interested in studying abroad, definitely consider studying in the Galapagos Islands! This incredible 3-week studying abroad experience has students walk the steps of Charles Darwin and explore first-hand the origins of evolutionary biology. My blog posted back in October includes a great video as well.

Thank for reading the Best of 2010! Stayed tuned to the University of Minnesota Admissions Blogs for more great posts in 2011. 

-Matt

With so many options for entertainment in the Twin Cities, it is difficult to imagine not being able to find something to do. Minneapolis and St. Paul both offer a thriving and vibrant arts community, tons of opportunities to explore different cultures and foods, and eight professional sports teams. With so many choices in the community surrounding campus, it is sometimes easy to overlook events happening on the U of M campus itself.

You can stay in touch with all of the happenings around campus by visiting the University of Minnesota's events calendar. There you will find all sorts of happenings like guest lectures, seminars, Golden Gophers athletics, art exhibitions, theatre performances, concerts, and more.

One of my favorite on-campus events that I attended during my undergraduate career was the School of Music's Chamber Music Galla, which was a string performance by graduate students in the School of Music. At the time I was taking an introduction to guitar class, and my instructor was a student in the Master of Fine Arts program and performed with other students during the event. To this day, it is still one of my favorite concerts ever! Another popular event that many students enjoy is the annual College of Design student fashion show.

Here's a very small sampling of the events happening on campus this month:

Feb. 2 - Gopher men's basketball vs. Indiana (watch in-person or cheer on the team with other fans at Goldy's Gameroom!)

Feb. 3 - Free showing of Food, Inc. at the St. Paul Student Center Theater as part of Green Week

Feb. 3 - The Voronezh State Ballet Theatre of Russia performs Swan Lake at Northrop Memorial Auditorium 

Feb. 4 & 5 - Gophers After Dark at Coffman Memorial Union (learn more here)

Feb. 5 - Galactic Bowling at the St. Paul Student Center

Feb. 5 - Free showing of Due Date at the Coffman Theater

Feb. 8 - Author Charles Baxter discusses his new book "Gryphon" at Coffman Memorial Union

Feb. 8 - Bergen Woodwind Quintet in concert at Ted Mann Concert Hall

Feb. 9 - The War of Words About Science discussion with former WCCO-TV news anchor Don Shelby

Feb. 11 - Winter's Tale (performed by University Theater Arts & Dance) at Northrop Memorial Auditorium 

Feb. 11 - Gopher men's hockey vs. Denver at Mariucci Arena

Feb. 12 - Gopher women's gymnastics Best of Minnesota meet at U of M Sports Pavilion

Feb. 16 - Free showing of The Social Network, St. Paul Student Center Theater

Feb. 17 - Noah Earle, Luke Redfield, and William Within concert at The Whole in Coffman Memorial Union

Feb. 17 - Gopher women's basketball vs. Purdue at Williams Arena

Feb. 23-24 - Gopher men's swimming and diving Big Ten Championship at the University Aquatic Center

Feb. 24 - BITS Student Variety Show at The Whole 

So, if you're curious about student life and wondering what happens on campus outside the classroom, make sure to check out the University's events calendar, Student Unions & Activities, Northrop Memorial Auditorium, and GopherSports.com. 

Name:  Megan Odom 

Hometown:  Savage, MN

Major(s):  Spanish and Sociology of Law, Criminology, and Deviance

Year in School: Freshman, Class of 2014

Colleges and universities she considered: Last year as a high school senior, Megan's top choices for colleges included the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Yale University, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Bethel College.

Why she chose the U of M:
Megan ultimately chose to attend the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities based on the quality of academic programs as well as value: low cost of attendance and great scholarship opportunities.

Campus involvement:

• Swing Dancing 
• The Rock Church (click here to see a list of religious student groups on campus)
• Admissions Ambassadors

Getting involved in research: "My current research project includes working with the speech-language-hearing sciences department to research effective language interventions for children and adolescents with both Down Syndrome and Fragile X Syndrome."

Highlight of her freshman year at the U of M: "Meeting a group of friends who are like family! We made 'family dinners' on Sunday nights a tradition. We even celebrated 'fam Christmas' together before going home for winter break."

Her advice to high school seniors: "Stay in touch with friends once you go off to college - everyone loves to get mail!"

I remember as an undergraduate in the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD), walking around the St.Paul campus and seeing signs about STEM on the student bulletin boards. "STEM? What is that?," I thought as I continued on my path to class. Later, I learned all about STEM, and I'd like to some share information with it about you!

STEM, which stands for "Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math," is the name of the Education Research Center located in the College of Education and Human Development. The center's purpose is to research learning and cognition of students in a k-12 environment utilizing a integration of the STEM concepts. The faculty, staff, and students involved in STEM are studying the long-term effects of combining science technology engineering and math to help prepare students in the Teaching Initial Licensure Program for their post-graduate years.

Recently, this research was applied at the White Earth Reservation with a group of students grades 4-8. The students of the White Earth community learned about atmospheric changes through the use of a camera, sensors, and a weather balloon! The lesson was not only fun; it also clearly demonstrated to the students the correlation between science and technology. The lesson plan was a success!

STEM exciting venture for anyone interested in working in education or youth studies. Learn more about it here: STEM Education Research Center 

-Danielle 

Do you remember my blog post back in November about Goldy Gopher making it to the National Mascot Championship? 

Well, I have great news: Goldy Gopher is officially the best mascot in the land! While University of Minnesota students were relaxing over winter break, Goldy was busting his tail at the 2011 UCA/UDA College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championship, held at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando. Over 150 colleges and universities competed in dance, cheerleading, and mascot competitions. Goldy took home the mascot trophy and the U of M dance team got first place in the jazz and pom divisions. I am so proud of my fellow Gophers!

Check out this video of Goldy's stellar performance:

And here is the dance team's winning routine: